CHAPTER 12

I actually had no idea why he gave me the numbers. My best guess was he wanted me to call Ponyboy, and that sure as hell wasn't happening! Though I hated myself for being so foolish. What was I thinking kissing him the way I did?! I had no right, and I definitely had no brains that day.

-ARRIVAL HOME-

When I opened the door, Johnny was sitting on the couch, flinching as my mom screamed at him.

I didn't want to just ignore it, but I didn't want to get hit either. I decided it was just best to leave it till I heard Johnny getting whipped. I walked into me and Johnny's room and planted my bag on my bed next to a note I was currently writing for Carla, 'from Johnny' if you get what I'm saying. He's not the best writer, so I help him occasionally.

Anyway, I walked over to my desk and sat down. I wanted to do something. Draw something. I wanted to draw something private for myself as a memory. But damn, the only thing I could think of was that stupid kiss with Ponyboy! I just wanted to jab my eyes out with my pencil at that point. I couldn't take the pressure of everything… But maybe I didn't have to. Maybe I could draw something to get it off my chest. Something to finally ease my nerves.

So I began to draw. I drew the outline of two people, two young people at that. They were kissing each other. Her hand on his cheeks as his hands were free roaming her waist.

When I finally finished the picture, I stared at it. I had colored it with my old art supplies. The girl had dark brown hair, almost black while the boy had dark blonde hair, almost red. The girls skin, slightly tanned while the boy's is fair. As I looked closer at the picture, I had realized what I created…

I closed my sketchbook and walked over to the closet with in in hand. When I slid open the closet door, I was startled out of my panties when Dally popped out wearing my joker mask I bought for halloween to scare little kids.

"Hey babe," he slipped his arms around my waist, "how's it hanging?" He tore the mask away.

I pouted, "You scared me!" I whispered to him with a slight hiss.

He sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare ya, Dani." He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.

"How'd you get in here? I know for a fact that Johnny sure as hell wouldn't have let you in. Nor my mother." I stood up straight, "Which reminds me…"

Dally smiled, "Hey, do you have time to go to the movies tonight?" He asked me.

I shook my head, "But you don't really like movies I thought." I stared up at him in thought. Had he already changed his opinion about movies?

He shook his head inevitably, "I don't. But you do. And either way, let's go see a shitty movie."

"Why would we do that?" I asked him, knowing he'd give his oh-so 'logical explanation' for his idea.

He bit his lip, "So that we could do this." He leaned in and kissed me. He backed off just long enough to utter a word in between kisses, "The whole," kiss, "movie," kiss, "through." He kissed me again, this time for a longer period.

I broke away and giggled, "You still haven't answered my question about how you got in here. Did you do some kind of James Bond stuff to get in here?"

"What does it matter how I got in here? I'm here, right? That's the important part." He smiled again.

I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "It matters," I chuckled to myself, "because I think it's kind of sexy how you snuck in." I pulled back away from his ear and grinned, "So how long have you been sneaking in here? It matters because you could be watching me sleep for all I know." I joked around with him.

He let out a slight snicker and pressed his forehead up to mine, "Truth?" He asked sweetly.

I nodded, "Truth would be good. Be great actually."

He chuckled, "Alright. Now, don't get freaked out," he told me in a serious tone, "but before I left, I'd been sneaking in here since you were 13 and I was 16. I know it sounds crazy, but I did watch you sleep once before and… It was like I knew who I was when I saw you there." He tilted his head back slightly, "I saw a girl so beautiful that I knew I'd die if I let anything happen to her. I knew how I felt when I saw you sleeping. I knew that everything—all that we had done together, was meant to be shared with more than just friends. And that night—that was the night I knew I didn't love Sylvia anymore. I knew I loved someone," he stroked his hand on my cheek, "way more precious to me than what she ever was. Someone with more to her than just looks. That was the night I knew I was completely," he began to shake his head, "madly in love with you."

I felt myself trembling as I asked him, "How old was I when you saw me sleeping?"

He sighed, "Well, the funny part is, it was the first night I had come into your room at all."

"How did Johnny not see you? I mean, maybe he didn't considering he was sleeping at the Curtis' a lot." I said nervously. I smiled, "I think I remember one time when I was 13 and you had just turned 16…"

-NOVEMBER 12, 1966-

We were sitting on the lawn of the middle school, playing truth or dare one day. Dally, Johnny, and I were sitting in a circle together when Johnny got up to get a Coke.

"I guess we'll just play without him, huh?" Dally asked me, nudging me on the shoulder.

I shrugged, "Sure. I like playing truth or dare with you. You're always a lot better at dares than Johnny is." I giggled.

He let out a chuckle himself, "Alright, man. So truth or dare?"

"Dare!" I cried joyfully.

Dally snickered, "Alright," he said, giving me a high five, "so I dare you… to ask that guy over there out." He pointed to a boy that I knew named Legend Zillgere.

I laughed nervously, "Uh, nope." I told him.

"Hey, why not?" He nudged me again, "What, afraid he's gonna reject you?"

I shook my head as I picked at the grass, "No." I replied simply.

"Well then what's the problem?" He asked again, glancing back and forth from me to Legend.

I shrugged, "I don't love him."

"So? What does that gotta do with a dare?" He laughed.

"Well," I looked up at him, "the way I see it, you can't be with someone you don't love. It's just not right. If you love someone, then be with them. No matter what anybody says. But if you don't love them," I stared back down at the grass, "it's not fair to be with them."

Dally's smile faded as he spoke, "Do you love anyone?"

I smiled, "Maybe. If I do, I don't know it yet. I guess I don't know what love would feel like enough to say that I'm in love with someone. Ya know what I mean?" I looked away sheepishly, thinking that was a stupid question. Duh, he's in love with Sylvia, I remember thinking. "Never mind, you've got Sylv, huh?"

He nodded slowly, "Right. Sylv." He sighed as if something was bothering him. I just ignored it since he was always acting like that.

-BACK TO FEBRUARY 15, 1968-

"…You showed signs that you liked me and I totally brushed them off as nothing out of the ordinary. God, I'm such an idiot for that!"

"Hey," he pulled me closer, "don't say that. You are most definitely not an idiot, okay?" He smiled, "If anything, I'm the idiot for dragging my feet about telling you how I felt. I guess I'm just lucky that I got to you in time, huh?"

I rolled my eyes with a laugh, "I would've waited an entire decade to see you again."

"Would you still have the same reaction that you did when you saw me the other day?" He asked me with a lazy grin on his face.

I let out a hysterical laugh, "Yes. I'm not gonna lie, I would have still slapped you. Maybe, in fact I definitely would've slapped you harder."

"And I would let you. Trust me, I knew what was coming to me when I came back." He said shaking his head. I frowned at him. He stared at me with care, "I came back anyway. You know why?"

I sighed, knowing exactly what he'd say, "Because you love me too much. I got the idea, Dal."

He tilted his head, "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can ask Sylvia. Ask her, she'll tell you that I never shut up about you and I know that I didn't. That's why I kept talking about you. I knew it'd make her fuck off." He said with a grin.

I raised my eyebrow, "Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, to be with me… You're guaranteed to get a lot of shit for it since I'm underaged and all. So I'm asking you this to make sure you are willing to deal with it for me." I stared him in the eyes seriously.

He swallowed, "There is nothing in this world that could drive me away from you. Not anymore. You are my entire world, Dani."

I felt myself getting flustered a bit, "Have I told you lately that I love you? 'Cause if I haven't, I do." I put my arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Mm," he mumbled before pulling away, "get dressed in something nice and we'll go out, sound good?"

I smiled, "Okay, but you have to leave so that I can." I pointed at him as he backed up toward my bed.

"Ah, c'mon," he pleaded, "why can't I just stay and watch? You look pretty good without your clothes on, and we both know it." He sat down on my bed.

I crossed my arms, "For starters, Johnny and my bat-shit insane mother are outside in the living room." I explained, pointing toward the door. "Secondly, it'll just tempt you to act a fool."

He placed his hand on his chest dramatically, "Oh, I'm hurt!" He shouted goofily, "My lover won't allow me to see her nude… Oh, what will I ever do?!" He cried with a frown.

I was dying of laughter at this point. When I finally caught my breath, I spoke, still shaking from trying to hold my laughter in. "If you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask." I slowly moved toward him, a devilish grin on my face.

He looked at me like I was a gift from God himself. "Can I see you naked then?" He asked in a slightly serious tone.

I smirked before scooting myself onto the bed next to him, "Maybe." I laughed as Dally frowned. "I'm kidding, okay? Maybe later on after the movie. That is only if you give me a reason to strip down for you."

"Really?" He asked, readjusting himself on the bed, "I hope it won't be too hard." He joked.

I leaned in as I told him, "For you, it won't be too hard. You always find some way to entertain me… With your cute self and your sexy attitude." I pressed my lips up against his with force. He didn't seem to mind, though.

When he backed away, he sat up on the edge of my bed. He put on a serious face, "Get dressed so that we'll actually still have the energy to do that at the movies."

"Do you have any preferences as to what I should wear?" I asked him seductively.

He leaned over the bed on the other side, using his hands as support beams. "You can wear whatever you want, but I'll tell ya, I like a girl in a skirt."

I scratched the back of my head, "Well, we're fresh out of skirts. I may have thrown them out due to greaser complications…" I turned away, a bit flustered.

"I told you, you can wear whatever. You'll be the best looking girl there no matter what you have on your back." He nodded, "I'll be waiting for you out here, alright?"

I shrugged, then pointed a finger in his face, "And don't watch me dress, you hear me, mister?"

He sighed, "Fine, but it'll be hard to resist." He gritted his teeth goofily, "Those perfect hips. Those sexy legs. Those gorgeous—"

"Alright lover boy," I put my hands on his chest and gently guided him to my window, "time for you to take your leave."

He hopped out the window and gave me a quick kiss before disappearing into the distance.

-AFTER GETTING DRESSED-

I stared at myself in my full body length mirror, I guess to make sure I looked alright. As I stared at myself, I noticed something. I noticed that everything changed after the night I told Dally I loved him for the first time. I noticed how I had become a new person after I confessed my love for him. I knew that everything was okay as long as I was with him. I knew that I was safe, protected if you will. I knew he was way more than a trouble maker. I knew he was way more than just a street hood. He was the light of my life. He was my pot of gold. He was mine. All mine.

Suddenly I heard Johnny's screams coming from the living room. I rushed out into the kitchen, leading to the living room. What I witnessed will forever be branded in my mind with great sadness. Johnny was laying on the ground curled up in a ball while my mother was striking him repeatedly with an empty Pepsi bottle!

Johnny's screams echoed through my head as I saw chips of glass scattering around him and blood consisting from his arms and knuckles.

"Leave him alone, you bitch!" I screamed as I attacked my mother by jumping on her back violently. She started to screech like a lunatic as she swung the busted up bottle at me, me, somehow dodging it every single time. That is until she backed me into the wall and swung it directly at me. It hit my cheek and cut it, and I could tell since I literally saw it gush out onto the floor. "Dally!" I screamed, hoping that he'd heard my scream. I pushed my mother onto the couch and grabbed the bottle from her. I held it to her chin and threatened her, "Touch Johnny again, and you'll never see the light of day afterward!" I shouted. Suddenly I heard a bang and stupidly looked back toward my bedroom door. It was stupid because the next thing I knew, my cheek was stinging like a son of bitch on crack! I turned back, only to feel an even bigger burn as she held the bottle's sharp edge up against my face, piercing into my flesh as it sliced into my skin. She then pushed me off of her and pinned me to the ground, still holding the busted bottle to my face. I saw Johnny get up and rush into the kitchen, though I couldn't see what he was doing in there. I thought this was it. My mom was going to literally kill me! I closed my eyes and waited for her to stab me in the chest.

That's when I heard a click sound. I opened my eyes and looked up past her head and there stood Dally, with a gun up to her head. "Get off of her, or I'll blow your brains out." He demanded angrily.

"Do you really think that you'd kill me? You're just a child, so you wouldn't know the first thing about shooting a gun!" She shouted at him.

He pointed the gun at a picture of my parents at their wedding. With one shot, he smashed the glass to smithereens, hitting my dad's face. He quickly aimed the gun back at my mother's head. "Wanna bet?"

"You're just a kid. You don't know the first thing about killing someone." She fired back quickly.

He cocked the gun again, making a click noise. "I don't know, Mrs. Cade, I'm pretty crazy. Insane, really." He laughed hysterically, "Go ahead, cut her. Doesn't change the fact that I'll kill you if you make another move."

My mother let out a puff of frustration before getting off of me slowly. Johnny suddenly walked back in with a bandage over his cuts. "Th-the cops are on their way." He stuttered. No, I thought, his stutter's back. He hadn't stuttered in over a year.

My mother glared at him in disgust, "You called the cops? On who?"

"Both of ya. Dally, for breaking and entering." He pointed to our mother, "And you, for b-beating me w-with broken g-glass shards."

I stared up at Johnny in disbelief, "Dally didn't do anything wrong!"

"He broke in!" He shouted back at me.

"No he didn't. I," I stepped toward him, "I let him in."

Johnny shook his head, "While you were pinned to the floor?"

"Before that, Johnny! I let him in through the window earlier." I crossed my arms timidly, knowing that he'd still be furious at me for letting a guy into our room.

He sighed angrily, "You let a boy—no, an adult man, into our room?!"

I snickered, "Please, Johnny. He may be legal, but that doesn't mean that our love should be frowned upon."

"Your love?!" He asked, placing his hand on his forehead in distress.

Dally grabbed my hand, keeping the gun on my mother. "Yeah, our love. And if you have a problem, just don't. I love Danielle and I'm not gonna let you ruin the love I have for her."

Johnny gritted his teeth, "Let go of her, Dallas. She doesn't want to leave with you."

I gripped tighter on Dally's hand as I spoke, "That's what you're wrong about, Johnny. I love Dally and I would go anywhere with him. As long as I'm with him, I'm happy. And if you want to destroy my happiness, you're really low. I wouldn't even consider you to be my brother if you do that."

He frowned. He looked guilty as he held out his arms, "I'm sorry, Dani." I ran into his arms and hugged him. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I've told you this too many times before, so you should know."

I closed my eyes, "Okay, but you didn't really call the cops on Dal, did you?"

He laughed, "Nah, man. I was just gonna bust him when they got here."

I hugged him tighter, "Good, 'cause I would've then had to kill you." I told him jokingly, though I really meant it. Seriously.

He rolled his eyes, "I love you, Dani." He turned his attention to Dally, "And as for you," he stepped closer, "hurt her again and I'll absolutely kill you."

Dally patted Johnny's arm like he was his good buddy, "I'll let you pal. I'll let you put me into a psych ward if I ever hurt this girl. 'Cause I know for sure that I would be out of my goddamn mind to hurt her." He winked at me.

I blushed a little before snatching Dally's hand and rushing out the door. Johnny followed after us, "Where are you two headed now?"

Dally called back, "None of ya damn—"

I punched Dally's arm hard, "Dally!" I looked back at Johnny, "He was just kidding. We're headed to the movies. You sure you can handle mom until the cops show?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. You sure you don't wanna say goodbye before she gets hauled in?"

We stared at each other for a minute, thinking. "Nah!" We both said at the same time before Dally and I ran off toward his car.

As soon as we got in, he locked the doors. I looked up at him, slightly taken aback. "Is something wrong?"

Before I could say anything else, he leaned in and kissed me. It was normal for Dally to do his romantic weird stuff, but this was a bit ridiculous. I grabbed his face and pushed him away gently, "Movie, Dal. Movie."

He nodded and drove off. I felt a little guilty and I didn't know if I should have. I felt like maybe I was being a little too controlling over him. I don't want him to be my pet or anything, especially since it was supposed to be the other way around and that's the way I liked it. Then as I really thought about it, maybe I was the one who drove him away, not Johnny. Maybe I was being too clingy and controlling or something. Maybe he left because he needed time alone. Away from me. For a year and a half. God, I hated myself then.

When we arrived at the movies, we sat in the very back, I guess to have as much 'privacy' as possible…? Yeah, I actually have no idea why. Anyways, we waited for the movie to start before we started to make out. 'Cause we're just so professional like that.

There were actually only a few people in the movie theater, so it was quite nice for a make out sesh. At first it was just kissing with a little tongue, then it turned into something a little more heated. He moved his hand from my arm to my chest swiftly. I didn't mind it since it was only Dal. However, I did feel a bit conscious about it. I mean what if someone likes what they're seeing and try to pull something on me when Dally's away to get popcorn or something. I gave it a second thought and really, there was nothing to worry about. Dally'd never let anyone touch me and get away with it.

I slipped my hand across his waistline, thinking I was going to do something pretty… let's just say inappropriate. He looked up at me with the young, desperate eyes I was so highly desiring of. I tilted my head with a smile, "Too much?"

He leaned in and kissed me again, biting my lip gently as it ended. "Nothing is too much when it comes to you. You can do whatever you want."

I then, being the 'certified badass bad girl' I was, put my hand in his pants. Clearly, I did some things I don't exactly regret, but I'm not proud of doing in that moment.

Suddenly the lights turned on in the theater and I retracted my hand quickly. Dally was pale in the face as the lights came on and an usher walked out into the isle. He crossed his arms and gave me a dirty look. "You two kids should be ashamed of yourselves. This is a family theater and here you are disgracing the name by doing hand jobs. Disgusting! Get out of here and never come back!"

"Now hold on a second, buddy," Dally stood up and put his hand in front of the usher's chest, "you can ban me, but you can't ban Danielle. She didn't do anything wrong, here. I was encouraging her, man. Please just let her come back."

"Dally," I nudged him, "what on Earth are you doing?"

He smiled, then whispered in my ear, "Just follow my lead, kid."

I got the idea of what he meant. Keep my mouth shut.

The usher stood up straight with an annoyed expression on his face, "Get out or I'll call the police. Then I'll make sure that your little girlfriend never hears the end of it!"

Dally frowned, "What makes you think I'd be scared of you? I'll go when you tell her that she can come back when she wants to."

"Dal," I looked up at him, "really, it's okay. I don't need to come back. It's fine, really."

He sighed, "Are you sure, babe?"

I nodded, "Positive."

Dally then smiled with attitude. He grabbed my hand and we walked off silently. When we got to the car, he let go of my hand. We got in and he started the car. "So much for that idea, right?" He chuckled.

I chuckled back, "Yeah," I crossed my legs, "still in the mood?" I asked him seductively.

He shook his head with a smile, "I'm in the mood when you want me to be." He turned back to the road.

At this point, it was just plain bothering me. "Dal," I placed my hands on my legs casually, "am I too controlling? 'Cause I feel that maybe I'm…"

He shook his head, then placed his left hand on my arm while still driving with the right. "No way, Dani. What makes you ask that?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I feel like maybe I'm the one always calling the shots and," I rolled my head back, "I don't want to be because I'm the pet here. That's how I like it." I grinned slightly, "I want to be your pet, Dally."

He presented a lazy grin on his face out of pleasure. He continued to drive and asked me seriously, "Back to Buck's?"

I leaned back in my seat and relaxed myself, "Please." I told him.

-FOUR MONTHS LATER- (cuz I know how much you lovez the time skipz)

I was watching the sunset alone since Pony's been so absent since our little kiss thing happened. I'd seen him only twice since then. The sad thing, he didn't even say 'hi' to me or anything both times. I missed my best friend so badly! I missed him so much it could have killed me.

Also, my mom got hauled into the station and then to rehab later on. So Johnny and I both had to live at Two-Bit's for a few months before our mother came back. The good news is, when she came back, she was a lot less hateful and abusive. She actually seemed to pay more positive attention to Johnny and I and was basically put on a worldwide restraining order from alcohol. Sure, she was still a little hateful towards Johnny and I, but it was better than before. Anyways, I forgot to mention that my dad was put in jail a month before Dally came back for possession of drugs and abusive relations. So basically, we weren't being beaten as horribly after he went to jail, that is before the night of the bottle.

Dally had taken me to a party in Claremore a couple months back. He told me that he took me to show off to his friends. Normally if it were anyone else other than Dally, I would've been offended that I was something to 'show off'. But since I was Dally's, I thought it was sweet of him. I really couldn't believe I had been his for four months straight! I couldn't believe that anyone could make me feel as though I'm glowing as much as he did. I could almost picture a future with Dally. I don't know what my life would've been like without him.

"Hey there, beautiful." I felt someone's hands slip around my waist from behind. Though I immediately recognized who they belonged to.

I placed my hands on top of his and uttered casually, "Hey, Dal." I grinned, staring at the ground. I could tell he knew I was happy to see him.

"Why don't you turn around so that I can see that beautiful smile of yours?" He asked, whispering in my ear. Told you.

"Well," I said, "why don't you buy me a puppy?" I asked him jokingly as I turned around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I'm seventeen now, Dal. I think I can take care of one, huh?"

He rolled his head back with a smile, "I'll get you one," he focused back on me, "if you answer these few questions correctly. And I'm dead serious."

I rested my head on his shoulder, "Okay," I chuckled, "what about?"

"Us. You ready?" He asked. I nodded. He continued, "Alright. First question; If we were to have children, what would we name them?"

I thought for a second. "Well, if we had a son, you'd probably name him Austin just because you're Dallas and all." I laughed, "And if we had a girl, I would've thought Carter just because I think it's a pretty name."

"Hm," Dally mumbled, "interesting idea. Okay, second question; where would we live in 10 years?"

I chuckled, "That's easy. Anywhere you would want to live. As long as I'd be with you, I'd be just fine with living anywhere."

He kissed my head, "Okay, last question; Do you see a future with me?"

I bit my lip and went for it. "Definitely."

He let me out of his arms and he backed up a little. I tilted my head in confusion as he got down on one knee. My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing. He pulled something out of his pocket and smiled, "Danielle June Cade," he stared me dead in the eyes sweetly, "will you marry me?"

I smiled, almost at tears. I hate how much of an emotional person I am sometimes! I kneeled down in front of him. I then placed my hands on his face and kissed him passionately. The same taste consisting of Coke and cigarette smoke filled my lips as I pressed them against his.

He broke the kiss and opened the box in his hand, "Is that a yes?"

I hugged him tightly. My happiness mattered to someone, and that someone was the love of my life, Dallas Winston. "Of course I'll marry you." I felt his arms around me within seconds.

AN: Hey guys! TYSM for reading my stuff, I really appreciate it. This isn't the ending chapter, but the next chapter is planned to be. I really like knowing that some people are taking the time to read my writing. It means the world to me! Also, I will credit a couple things to a reader and reviewer :) Moniquian Rose, thank you for being nice to me and all. I really really appreciate it! I credit Moniquian Rose for creating the ship name Danily. I guess it just fits, huh? Anyways, love everyone who read this story and I hope you have a lovely day! Stay gold, y'all!